|
|
|
| July 6 |
President Robert Kocharian announces
a change in ministerial assignments in the cabinet with Minister of
Transport and Communications Yervand Zakarian exchanging portfolios
with Minister for State Revenue Andranik Manukian. The change, although
linked to a broader initiative seeking to improve coordination of
the ministries, reportedly stems from recent clashes between Minister
Manukian and Prime Minister Andranik Markarian. State revenue has
increased in recent months, mainly due to the minister's efforts to
better enforce tax collection. |
| July 9 |
A report by the New York Times reveals
the existence of a new unofficial Turkish-Armenian "reconciliation
commission" formed at the initiative of the U.S. State Department
after months of secret talks in Europe. The new 10-member commission,
composed of a disparate group of Armenian, and Turkish figures, is
reportedly seeking cooperation and communication to prepare for direct
talks between Ankara and Yerevan at some later stage, designed to
overcome the Turkish refusal to normalize diplomatic relations with
Armenia and its denial of the Armenian Genocide. The six Turkish members
include prominent former Turkish foreign service officials and others
linked to the government and security services. The four Armenian
members include Andranik Migranian, a former adviser to Russian President
Boris Yeltsin, former Armenian Foreign Minister Alexander Arzoumanian,
who served under the Ter Petrosian government and currently a leader
of the former ruling Armenian National Movement (ANM), and Van Krikorian,
of the Armenian Assembly of America. |
| July 9-10 |
A two-day international donors conference
approves a new $620 million aid and assistance package for Armenia's
economic reforms. The Paris conference includes officials from the
United States government, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and
the World Bank, and formulates a program linked to the Kocharian government's
successful implementation of its three-year poverty reduction plan.
Prime Minister Markarian pledges to accelerate policies aimed at improving
overall living conditions and vows to maintain the government's campaign
to combat corruption throughout the country. |
| July 10 |
Arriving in Yerevan as part of a new
series of regional meetings, officials from the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe's (OSCE) Minsk Group discuss the stalled
mediation effort seeking a solution to the Nagorno Karabagh
conflict with senior Armenian leaders. The delegation is headed by
the Minsk Group co-chairs, Ambassador Carey Cavanaugh from the United
States, France's Ambassador Phillip de Suremain and Russia's First
Deputy Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Trubnikov. The OSCE officials state
that they still hope for a later meeting in Geneva between the Armenian
and Azerbaijani presidents once a new acceptable framework can be
formulated. |
| July 12 |
In a press conference in Yerevan,
Constitutional Court Chairman Judge Gagik Harutiunian reviews recently
proposed changes to the country's 1995 constitution, several of which
incorporate suggested revisions advocated by the Council of Europe.
Most prominent from among the several proposed amendments, the head
of state would be required to secure parliamentary approval for the
appointment of the prime minister and government ministers and would
no loner retain the right to arbitrarily veto cabinet decisions. A
related amendment would prohibit the president from exercising his
right to dismiss a majority of the country's judges. Additionally,
the proposals include measures aimed at safeguarding the protection
of human rights, an end to capital punishment and a controversial
clause eliminating the right of dual citizenship. The amendments were
drafted by a special presidential commission and are subject to parliamentary
approval and a subsequent national referendum. |
| July 13 |
In a move that Nobel Peace Prize laureate
Elie Wiesel hailed as a "miracle," a multi-disciplinary
group from Armenia, Russia, Turkey and the United States announced
this week the establishment of the Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation
Commission. The Commission, so far composed of four Armenians and
six Turks, including former foreign ministers of both Armenia and
Turkey, grew out of a series of confidential meetings at the Diplomatic
Academy of Vienna, Austria. David Phillips, an American professor
who teaches at the Academy, moderated the meetings. Phillips has a
stellar background in conflict prevention and mediation, and has organized
similar track two diplomatic initiatives between Serbs and Albanians,
and Greeks and Turks. According to the "Terms of Reference",
issued by the Commission, its main goal is "to promote mutual
understanding and good will between Turks and Armenians and encourage
improved relations between Armenia and Turkey." The Commission
will both undertake activities directly and support other initiatives
in fields as varied as "business, tourism, culture, education
and research, environment, media, confidence building and other areas."
It will also issue recommendations to concerned governments.
The United States government has repeatedly urged Turkey to normalize
relations with Armenia. (Most recently the issue was raised by US
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld during his visit to Ankara.) The
US is supporting the new Armenian-Turkish initiative, and the move
has also been welcomed in Turkey and Armenia, but has caused irritation
in Azerbaijan. The only English-language Turkish daily called the
new development "an historic step for both Turks and Armenians",
while an Armenian paper said the commission may provide unprecedented
possibilities for normalization of relations between two neighbor
countries. A Turkish daily referred to the Speaker of the Azerbaijani
Parliament as saying that "the improvement of economic and cultural
ties between Turkey and Armenia is something which frustrates Baku."
The two countries have remained in a state of a virtual cold war since
the re-establishment of Armenia's independence. In spite of repeated
Armenian offers to establish normal relations without preconditions,
Turkey has refused to do so and, in siding with Azerbaijan in the
Karabagh conflict, instituted an economic blockade against Armenia
and continues to provide military assistance to Azerbaijan. Turkey
continues to condition the normalization of relations on the settlement
of the Karabagh conflict on Azeri terms and Armenia's refusal to pursue
international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Earlier this year,
however, after the European Parliament officially urged Turkey to
recognize the Genocide and normalize relations with Armenia, sources
in the Turkish government indicated readiness to open a channel for
talks with Armenia. The idea at the time was welcomed by the Armenian
government. This week, the spokeswoman for the Armenian Foreign Ministry
said Armenia has always welcomed public initiatives aimed at improved
Armenian-Turkish relations. However, she reiterated that public dialogue
is still not a substitute for direct talks on the government level.
The commission includes the following members: former Ambassador to
the United Nations in Geneva Gunduz Aktan, former Foreign Minister
and chairman of the Armenian National Movement Alexander Arzoumanian,
former President of Istanbul's Bogazici University Ustun Ergunder,
retired Air Force General Sadi Erguvenc, former Ambassador to Syria
and Professor at the Yerevan State University David Hovhannissian,
Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Armenian Assembly of America
and a New York lawyer Van Z. Krikorian, former Advisor to the President
of Russia and member of the Union of Armenians of Russia Andranik
Migranian, former Ambassador to the United Kingdom and head of an
Istanbul think-tank Ozdem Sanberk, former Foreign Minister and columnist
Ilter Turkmen, and Psychology Professor at the University of Virginia
Vamik D. Volkan. |
| July 17-18 |
Parliamentary Chairman Armen Khachatrian
resigns from the People's Party of Armenia, charging that the party
leadership of Stepan Demirchian has established ties to "forces
seeking to destabilize the political situation" and criticizing
Demirchian for "betraying the political legacy" of his father,
party founder Garen Demirchian. In response, a group of eight People's
Party deputies warn Demirchian the next day to cease his attacks on
party members for advocating cooperation with the government or risk
splitting the party. The 117-member leadership board of the People's
Party had demanded the resignation of the speaker and his deputy one
week earlier. |
| July 19-20 |
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Ilya
Klebanov meets with senior government officials in Yerevan to coordinate
the transfer of shares in several Armenian state-owned firms to Russian
control in exchange for significant reductions in Armenia's $88 million
debt to Russia. The Russian official also reviews plans for the visit
to Armenia by Russian President Vladimir Putin, scheduled for early
fall. |
| July 20 |
Prospects for a political settlement
over Nagorno Karabagh are looking bleak following international mediators'
failure last week to convince Azerbaijan to return to the table. Azerbaijani
Foreign Minister Vilayat Guliyev blamed Armenia's "non-constructive
position" and "pro-Armenian" mediators for the impasse.
He also called the agreements developed by Presidents Heydar Aliyev
and Robert Kocharian in talks hosted by France and the United States
earlier this year, and from which Azerbaijan subsequently backed away,
an "Armenian myth." Guliyev said that Azerbaijan would restart
the war, unless its demands are satisfied at the negotiating table.
Armenia's Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian expressed surprise over
Guliyev's comments. He wondered if Guliyev was completely informed
about the process. In fact, observers have suggested that Guliyev
may not be among the handful of individuals in the Azerbaijani President's
immediate circle who are aware of the substance of talks with Armenia.
Oskanian reiterated Armenia's position that Azerbaijani demands on
Nagorno Karabagh lack any legal basis, and that Karabagh seceded from
Azerbaijan ten years ago in accordance with Soviet laws and international
norms. Oskanian added that while the Armenian party is committed to
a peaceful settlement of the conflict, "any military encroachment
[by Azerbaijan] will be met with a commensurate response."
The mediators will meet next week during the G-8 summit in Genoa to
review options. Also next week, Aliyev and Kocharian will attend a
summit of post-Soviet states in Sochi, Russia, but no substantive
discussions are expected. |
| July 20 |
A high-ranking government delegation
led by Russia's Deputy Prime Ilya Klebanov made a three-day visit
to Armenia to discuss ways to boost bilateral economic ties. Klebanov,
who together with Armenia's Defense Minister Serge Sargsian co-chairs
the Russian-Armenian inter-government commission, said economic cooperation
was lagging behind political ties. Klebanov visited a metallurgic
plant in the south of Armenia and an electronics factory in Yerevan,
in which Russians may invest. Shares in the two companies, as well
as two hydro-power electricity generating facilities, could be transferred
to Russia to cover most of the $88 million Armenian state debt to
Russia. Russian companies already have a large presence in Armenia's
energy sector. Russia is the sole supplier of nuclear and natural
gas fuel that help generate over two-thirds of Armenia's electricity.
Russia's gas monopoly, Gazprom, has a controlling share in the Russian-Armenian
gas distribution company. The two parties also discussed plans for
a Poti-Port Kavkaz ferry boat that would help promote trade between
Armenia and Russia and reduce the current transportation costs.
|
| July 21-22 |
President Kocharian announces the
dismissal of Environment Minister Murad Muradian and the subsequent
appointment of Vardan Ayvazian, the head of the Stability bloc, who
relinquishes his parliamentary seat to enter the cabinet the next
day. Muradian, also a member of the Stability bloc, angrily charges
Kocharian with following the demands for his dismissal by a "criminal
mafia" engaged in plundering the country's natural resources
wealth. The allegation is supported by second fired official, former
Deputy Minister for State Property Vanya Mkhitarian, who states that
criminal elements have control over the country's scarce timber resources.
|
| July 23 |
Security forces uncover a hidden
cache of illegal weapons, including machine guns, grenades and bombs,
during a raid on the local headquarters of the Armenian National Movement
(ANM) in Vanadzor. A raid on a second location owned by the ANM uncovers
a sizable amount of ammunition and small arms. ANM local leader Ashot
Manukian is arrested in the raid. |
| July 23 |
Deputy Parliamentary Chairman Gagik
Aslanian and two other deputies resign from the People's Party, reducing
its total number of seats help in parliament to thirteen. These most
recent defections follow Parliament Chairman Armen Khachatrian's resignation
from the People's Party one week earlier. The same day, the Stability
bloc renames itself the "People's Agro-Industrial Union"
and names Hmayak Hovannisian as its new chairman to replace newly
appointed Environment Minister Vardan Ayvazian. With two former People's
Party deputies joining this new bloc, the People's Agro-Industrial
union now holds 11 parliamentary seats. |
| July 24 |
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian
issues a statement claiming that although he was aware of plans to
form a private Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commission, he was
not directly involved in the group's formation earlier this month.
Former foreign minister and leader of the former ruling Armenian National
Movement (ANM), Alexander Arzoumanian, contradicts that report by
stating that it was the Armenian government that urged him to join
the group. |
| July 26-27 |
A delegation of officials, led by
Lt. General Panagiotis Harvalas, from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO) meets with Armenian officials during a visit to Yerevan. The
NATO delegation reviews plans for Armenia to host NATO military exercises
in 2003 and discusses expanding Armenian participation in NATO's Partnership
for Peace Program. |
| July 27 |
The three deputies comprising the
opposition National Democratic Union's (NDU) parliamentary bloc, vote
to remove NDU Chairman and former presidential candidate Vazgen Manukian
as leader of the bloc. The three NDU deputies have clashed with Manukian's
leadership over the party's position against cooperation with the
president, a policy advocated by the deputies. The move against Manukian
is attributed to Minister for State Property David Vartanian, a rival
to the party chairman within the NDU. Although nominally still head
of the NDU, Manukian's hopes for his widely expected presidential
bid in 2003 now seem doubtful. Manukian served as Prime Minister from
1990-1991 and also as Defense Minister from 1992-1993. |
| July 27 |
The government's most recent amended
version of the controversial privatization legislation for the sale
of the country's energy distribution network is passed by a narrow
vote in parliament. The adopted legislation removes an earlier restriction
imposing a ban on an owner of a distribution network that also holds
at least a 25 percent stake in a power generating firm. The new law
also contains revised stipulations whereby a bidder may now hold a
controlling share in all four of the national distribution networks.
Earlier versions imposed a restriction on bidders limiting them to
holding controlling shares in only two of the four firms. The close
vote is marred by allegations that several pro-Kocharian deputies
illegally voted more than once. |
|
|
|
|
|